The Scorner
Key Passage: Proverbs 21:24
Date: June 7, 2024
Proverbs chapter 21, God’s word. Proverbs chapter number 21 and verse number 24.
And we’re going to focus really on one thing this morning: what the Bible calls a scorner, a scorn. We want to learn what it is, why it is, and how not to be. Amen. You don’t want to be a scorner.
Scorners never really are happy people. They’re really not. And it might help us identify a little bit if we’re leaning that way. And sometimes it might lead us not to hang around that type of person. I want to avoid that right there.
Who and what is a scorner? Who and what is a scorner? Proverbs chapter 21. And we’re going to start with just one verse here in God’s word. Proverbs 21.
Proverbs 21, verse number 24. Would you please stand if you’re able to as we read God’s word? Just try to show God’s word respect. It’s worthy of it. I’m so glad God gave us His truth. This world’s changing and turning upside down, but the Bible is always the same. We’ve got something to go by. I know what God believes where He stands because of the Bible. I’m so thankful for God’s word. So we try to honor it.
Look at this. Verse number 24. Proverbs 21. Look what the Bible says: “Proud and haughty scorner is his name.” It becomes his identity. Everybody knows what he is. Everybody’s, well, look out for that person right there. “Proud and haughty scorner is his name who dealeth in proud wrath.”
But now just a bit, let’s try to unravel this verse and try to learn from it. And would you pray that God give you wisdom? God grow us all through this, as I pray the same.
Father, we come to You. Lord, I believe You have led to this. Father, I’ve asked time and again. It just seems like You go back to this. So I know You have reasons. Father, I pray that Your reasons will be accomplished this morning. Father, give us happier homes and, Lord, happier Christians because of this truth this morning. And, Lord, we’ll thank You. We’ll brag on You and praise You for what You do. It’s in Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.
You may be seated. I want you to listen very closely as we really build the foundation of what is, and why, and how not to be a scorner. By the way, it could make your home a whole lot happier. It can make your marriage so much better. I think about as our church, we’re about to enter into a building program. Satan loves to divide right in the middle of a building program. And it can prepare us for that, so many things. Maybe a young person, and the devil is trying to lead you down this path, down this road. Young people, you don’t want to go down this road. It’s not a happy road. So would you listen very closely with your heart for a bit here as you try to build what is a scorner?
Let me just say this: A scorner is a severe critic. They’re always criticizing. They’re always looking for flaws. They’re always… They can go there—be a thousand good things and one bad thing. They’re going to talk about that bad thing. They’re going to point out that bad thing.
And let me say this as we’re kind of getting into it a bit here: If your mind goes toward someone else, you may be tempted to be a critic because your mind’s going toward someone else. Now, I understand. I have eyes in my head. I can’t help it. But I just hold up for a bit here before we just go to someone else. We all, at times, can fall into the ditch of being a critic, a severe critic. All of us are tempted there. All of us are there from time to time. Just a severe critic.
So how is a critic, how is a scorner formed? All right? Let’s look back at this verse here, so much in this verse. Look back at verse number 24. What’s the last word of that verse? Help me out. Say it out loud, would you please? Wrath.
Let’s talk about wrath for a minute. Remember that verse over in Ephesians 4:26: “Be angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” Anger is the initial just flare up. Boom. Somebody made you mad. It’s just your initial reaction. By the way, you can be angry and not sin. The Bible records Jesus; He was angered. Anger is not a sin. Now, if you lose it, you’re not in control—that’s a sin. But the anger is that just boom, that initial. What you do about it, boom, right off the back, that’s anger.
But then wrath. Notice that: “Be angry, and sin not, let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” It’s that, not that initial per se; it’s that long term. It’s that you can’t let it go. It’s that inside smoldering. It’s this inside; the sun went down upon your wrath, and it’s just, it’s a continual thing. It’s just, by the way, it can take over someone’s life.
Sometimes there’s, and here’s the thing, the forming of a scorner typically there’s a major wound that has caused wrath. It sometimes, maybe someone, their parents divorced when they were very young, and it created a major wound out of that. They got wrath. Sometimes, a lot of times, it’s an authority role in their life, whether it be a parent, a preacher, quote-unquote, or whoever. But authority rolled in their life that has done them wrong, and it’s created a wound, and out of that wound they have wrath. It’s this long-term smoldering.
And there’s, maybe they have a parent that was a hypocrite. They went to church, went out in public and looked like they’re Mr. Wonderful, Miss Wonderful. But at home, they were just a tyrant. They were mean. They were manipulative. They were beating them, whatever it may be, and they were a hypocrite. And that caused a major wound, and out of that wound, they got wrath. They just, they’re just wrathful people inside. It’s a deep smoldering that comes out a lot of different ways. And one of the ways they become a scorner.
A lot of ways you get wrath, typically from a major wound. Sometimes they’ve seen a Christian that was a major hypocrite, and that’s created wrath inside of them. Sometimes they have wrath because life just is not turning out like they think it should, and life’s not fair to them. They thought it was going to turn out so much better, and they wouldn’t have all these problems and have a better job or career or marriage or whatever, and they just get wrath out of that. Sometimes you can get wrath from others, just maybe a wrathful grandparent or parent to everybody, and just kind of passed it down. You’re just a wrathful; you’ve got this inner smoldering all the time.
Now, not only does he say wrath, look back at that verse. Look back at the verse; he’s telling us how a scorner is formed of the last part. He says, who dealeth in, what’s the next word? Proud wrath. You get someone that injustice has been dealt to them, and they respond with pride. And boy, the equals is not good. Injustice plus pride. Boy, it just, it’s not good. It equals a scorner. And this person deals in proud wrath. You get proud and wrath together, and you’re going to have an underlining attitude of just criticizing and critiquing everybody in the world.
Very interesting. Notice how words just saying here. Go back to that verse. It’s amazing how much God can say with one verse and how much it takes a pastor to explain that one verse. Three hours, right? Well, what about that? You know? He’s God, not me. Amen. He can do it. I can’t, you know. I need a little bit longer.
But notice what he says there. He says, “a proud and,” what’s the next word? Haughty. What’s haughty? A little touch different than proud. Haughty has to do with you looking down on other people, critiquing them, criticizing them. Let me see, Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, it worded it like this about haughty: It said they’re hot—but here it is—“having an high opinion of oneself with some contempt for others.” So you get someone; they’ve got a major wound in their life, it’s created wrath in their life, and now they respond with pride, and you get a scorner. They spend their lives looking for all the kinks in someone’s armor, especially someone in leadership, and they’re just always criticizing, just shooting arrows continually. There’s a scorner.
Let’s look at some attributes about a scorner real quickly here. Y’all still with me this morning?
Number one: They enjoy… Well, look over if you—look over in Proverbs chapter number one. You’re right there in Proverbs. Look over in chapter number one, the beginning of the book of Proverbs. And look at verse number 22, and the Bible gives us a little bit more information about a scorner. Proverbs 1:22. When you find that, would you say amen? Amen.
Look at what he says there. Proverbs 1:22: “How long will you simple ones love simplicity? Watch this: And the scorners delight in their scorning.” They enjoy finding flaws. They love it. It just brings life. They spend their life looking for problems.
Can I just say something here? A child, they find flaws. You know, anybody out there that has a pimple on your face? Not right now, okay? In the past somewhere along the line. All right now, you know? I’m like 54, and I’m like, man, these things still every once in a while come up, you know? And most people, they overlook it, but a little child, they’re like, “Ooh, what’s that on your nose right there?” you know? You know, brat, you know. I don’t mind it. Sometimes adults, out of kindness, you know, just being very kind, they won’t say anything about my fingers. But a child is, “Hey, what’s wrong with your head?” you know? I don’t mind my—it didn’t bother me. But I’m just saying a child in maturity can find flaws. But it takes maturity to mend flaws. It takes maturity to help overcome flaws. But a scorner, they enjoy it; it brings them delight. How long are you going to delight in their scorning? Just critiquing, criticizing.
Number two. That’s number one. Nine attributes. I shouldn’t have said nine. You’re going to say, “Oh, my goodness. We’re going to go quick.” All right. Number two, here we go. Go over Psalms. You’re in Proverbs. We’ll look over in Psalms chapter number one. Psalm chapter number one and verse number one. Psalms is the book of the Bible right before Proverbs. So Psalms chapter number one and verse number one, the very first verse in the book of Psalms. I don’t want you to notice something here. He talks about a scorner here in Psalm 1. The Bible there says, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”
You see, here’s the thing: A scorner criticizes the work while they’re not doing the work. Did you notice it’s walking, standing, and now sitting, sitting in the seat of the scornful? Typically, as a scorner, you know, it’s easier to tell someone how to do something than to do it. And they’re the ones who are not doing the work, but they sit around and critique and criticize everybody else that is doing the work. Another verse kind of back set up, but remember, just read it for you: Psalm 123:4, “Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease.” Usually the one rowing the boat is not rocking the boat. Every once in a while, these news commentators or even sports commentators will bother me because they’re just criticizing, criticizing, criticizing. And I want to say, “Get out there and do it yourself then, buddy.”
But that’s this scorner. They’re not doing the work, but they’re always critiquing those that are doing the work. All right? I’m just criticizing them. This is interesting. This is so wise. Spurgeon said this: “If you’re battling pride, get very busy in the work of the Lord, and you’ll find out how weak you really are.” A lot of wisdom there.
Let’s go on. We’ll spend too much time. Number one, they enjoy finding fault. Number two, they criticize the work of others when they’re not willing to do the work themselves. Number three. Number three, scorners often have a lot of knowledge and can even be someone in authority. Isaiah 28:14: “Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men that rule this people, which is in Jerusalem.” Remember over in 1 Corinthians 8:1, “Knowledge puffeth up.” Proud wrath. Sometimes it’s someone that’s been around the Christian world for a long time. They know their Bible. They know, you know, how things ought to work. And that’s almost a hindrance because they’re responding in proud wrath. And they’re knowledgeable people. And so they’re pretty good at finding flaws and faults.
Mom or Dad, can I just say something? Can I say something to our young people here? I understand, you know, mom and dads, and you got to say it for what it is sometimes, but you know, there’s not a perfect parent in the world. And so be careful. If you’re not careful, you’ll just spend your life criticizing your mom and dad. And I understand you want to see the truth of the situation, but don’t spend your life criticizing them. If you do that, you’re doomed probably to repeat it. Don’t spend your life there. Learn from it, and I don’t want to be that goal, but don’t spend your life there. But let’s go on. Let’s keep going on this thing here.
Number four. Number four. Scorner—the nine attributes of a scorner. Uh, you’re in Proverbs or Psalm. Look over in Proverbs chapter number nine. Proverbs chapter number nine real quickly here. Proverbs 9, and look at one verse if you would please here. Proverbs 9, verse number 8.
The turning of the pages of the Bible is a good sound, as long as it doesn’t go on too long, amen, you know. Proverbs 9, verse 8: “Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.” Look over in chapter number 13 of Proverbs, chapter number 13, just a couple pages over. Proverbs 13:1, “A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.” They’re just not going to listen. You can preach out of, you can yell out of, you can do whatever, but they’re not going to listen to it. They just will not take correction. Typically, they get mad. Anybody says, “Well, I don’t have to get on to them because if I get on to them, I know it’s going to be a big old fight”—they’re probably a scorner. You understand what I’m saying? They just don’t take correction well.
Now, here’s an interesting thing about it: sometimes you have to correct them not for their good. They’re not going to listen, but for the good of the others around there. Look over in Proverbs 19. You’re in Proverbs 19. Look at verse number 25. Proverbs 19:25. Just one phrase out of that one I want you to see. Proverbs 19:25. Let’s look at the first part there: “Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware.” Sometimes our teachers, our bus workers, or different people, we have to really get on to one kid. That kid’s not going to listen. He’s not going to learn, but you’re doing it because if you don’t get on that one kid, he’s going to bring the whole classroom down. We hate to do it, but every once in a while, if there’s just a child we cannot manage, we might have to say to the parents, “I’m sorry, your child cannot come.” We hate to do that. We try many other things before we do that, but we have to do that because if we don’t do that, that one child will bring the whole system down. It gets to the point that even the good kids won’t come because the bad kids are bringing the whole thing down. So you smite the scorner, and what happens? The simple…
I never forget years ago we had a young couple that was the beginning days of the church, and they had gotten saved, and God was working in their life, but they were still young Christians and, you know, had a lot to learn about the Bible. And they had been missing a little bit, and I went by to see them. And I pulled up, and I noticed there was another vehicle in their driveway. If I remember right, there were some people sitting in the back seat of that vehicle, and they were dressed very nice. And I thought, “Oh, I wonder what’s going on here.” I came inside, knocked on the door, they came to the door, and Mike and Donna, my wife will know who I’m talking about, and I won’t say the last name. And they moved away years and years ago. But anyway, knocking on the door, I think the wife came to the door and said, “Come on in, Pastor Paul.” They knew me. They were brand new Christians. And I came inside, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses were at their house. You know, you kind of suspect that when you pull up there, you know. And so they were at their dining room table talking with them.
Well, you know, automatically, typically you think, “Well, I’m probably not going to do real good with the Jehovah’s Witnesses. They’re so stuck in their false doctrine. They like to argue.” But man, we had young Christians there. And they said, “Well, Pastor Paul, would you like to enter into this Bible study?” Well, I sure would. I’d love to. Let’s have it. Now, I entered into that, not for those Jehovah’s Witnesses because they don’t listen typically. Now, they would have been glad to talk to them, but I entered into that because it’s simple. Praise the Lord. It was all over. The Jehovah’s Witnesses left, amen. Praise the Lord for it. Amen. I said, “Well, we’re going to leave for the time.” Man, it’s good to go ahead and just stay gone, you know. Now, I love them. I love just telling them about Jesus and the true Jesus of the Bible. By the way, there is a hell in the Bible, amen. They teach us not. Well, that’s one of the first things I went in to address, because if they don’t think there’s a hell, then why worry about the gospel, you know? By the way, they don’t believe Jesus rose physically from the dead. My Savior did, amen. So, you know, but if they listen, I’d be glad to talk to them all day long, but you learn over the years for the most part: they’re not going to listen. But they’re simple. And when there’s a scorner involved, you smite this scorner, not necessarily for them, but for the simple.
Scorners don’t like correction. I mean, the more you’re correcting, the more they hate you. You know, that’s the scorner.
Let’s go on. Number five, attribute about a scorner. Look in chapter 22. We’re in Proverbs still. A lot of verses from Proverbs. Proverbs 22. Would you look at verse number 10? Proverbs 22:10.
And verse number 10, the Bible there says, “Cast out this scorner, that’s what we’re looking at this morning, and contention shall go out; strife and reproach shall cease.” So I want you to notice this: What do you say? Cast out this scorner, and what shall go out? Contention. If there’s a scorner around, there’ll be some contention. There’s a scorner around, there’s going to be fussing and fighting and complaining and groaning. It’s just there’s going to be contention. Kind of goes in line: only by pride comes contention. But there’s a scorner there; there’s not going to be peace. And sometimes you have to remove the scorner. You hate to do that. Why? Because you just need peace in the situation. You know, many a family has been brought down by a scorner. Many of churches—there’s just no peace. There’s not going to be peace because the scorner is there.
Now, often they’re kind of hidden in the secret. They’re sitting somewhere in a hiding spot, but they’re critiquing, but they’ll usually get other people to do the dirty work. You don’t know what? Because they’re at ease, and they’re sitting in the seat of the scornful, but they’ll get the simple to do their dirty work, get out there, you know.
Remember what the Bible says over in Proverbs 6? He says, “These six things that the Lord hates, yea, seven are an abomination.” And what’s the seventh thing? Help me out. What’s the seventh thing? “He that soweth discord among the brethren.” Now, here’s the interesting thing about soweth: You know, you sow or you plant a seed. Typically, it doesn’t come up right then; it comes up a month or two later. See? And it’s hard to tell who sowed that because it can… And the Lord, the Bible says He hates these six things, but the seventh, He just can’t stand, but it’s he that soweth discord among the brethren.
By the way, I’m not preaching this because there are problems in our church. Praise the Lord, for the most part, as far as I know, we’ve got a pretty good church. So don’t think that. I would say preventive maintenance is the best maintenance, amen. And I just don’t want you to be a scorner, even in your home, your workplace, whatever. God can’t use a scorner like you like to. But there’s a scorner, there’s just contention, just fussing and fighting. And sometimes you’re saying, “Where is this coming from?” And somewhere is kind of the background typically sowing seeds, and a month or two later it comes up. See? But where there’s a scorner, there’s going to be contention.
Right? We said number one, they enjoy finding fault. Number two, they criticize those doing the work typically; they’re not doing it. Number three, scorners often have a lot of knowledge and even be an authority. Number four, they don’t take correction well. Number five, where there’s a scorner, there will be contention around.
Look over in Psalms 123. Psalms 123. All right? Psalms, Proverbs, Psalms, 123. And I want you just see this. A couple more attributes. We’re going to find out how not to be a scorner. How not to be a scorner. Psalm 123. Look in verse number four right there. This is David. David is the one that God used to pen it. King David is the leader trying to do something for the Lord. Look what it says, verse number four: “Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.”
David, he’s saying, “Our soul is filled with a scorning.” It can just feel the—maybe a wife or a husband in the home was trying to really do something, make a happy, joyful home for the kids, whatnot. There’s a scorner there; their heart can just get filled with that. And I’ve worded it this way: It’ll just drain them. It’ll drain that person trying to do something for the Lord. Same thing in the workplace. Somebody’s trying to create a good environment at the workplace and trying to make it a joyful place and where it’s fun to go to, and you don’t just dread to go to work so bad, you know. Everybody dreads Monday morning, but you know, for the most part, you know. And I try to make it, but if there’s a scorner there, that scorner can just feel that person that’s trying to do good, and rain—just feel their soul will just kind of drain it. And that’s the sad thing about a scorner.
Let’s go on real quickly here. Number seven. Number seven. Look at Proverbs 14. Proverbs 14. Look in verse number six. Proverbs 14:6.
Proverbs 14, verse number six. We’re studying about a scorner here just a bit this morning. “The scorner seeketh wisdom, wow, and findeth it not.” And I’m amazed there. The Bible puts it there. A scorner seeks for wisdom, and the Bible’s always true, and it’s genuine seek after, we don’t find it.
Look over a couple chapters. Look at chapter number 15. Chapter number 15. It’s interesting about a scorner. Proverbs 15, and look in verse number 12. Proverbs 15:12: “A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him, neither will he go unto the wise.” Now, here’s the amazing thing: He sincerely seeks after wisdom, but he just can’t bring himself to go to the wise. He’ll talk about the boss all day long, but he just can’t bring himself to the boss to man-to-man or later, later have to talk to them in a genuine, honest conversation about the problem trying to solve. They can’t do it. So they seek after wisdom, but they don’t find it. They just can’t bring themselves to go to a wise person. And they’ll spend their life critiquing, and they really want some wisdom, but they just can’t get the wisdom because they won’t go to the wise. But they’ll spend their life talking to people about all the problems, but they just won’t go to the person they need to go to. See? Amazing thing.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be a scorner. Anybody out there you say, “I don’t want to be a scorner”? You like that? I don’t want to be a scorner. No, no, no. Let’s find out how not to be a scorner.
Number one—three ways not to be a scorner. All right. Then after that, we’ve got 21 more points. Amen, you know. No, just three more. Three ways not to be a scorner. All right. Number one, would you go back to the original verse? Proverbs 21:24. Proverbs 21:24. We’re going to pull one more thing, I think, out of that verse. Proverbs 21:24. Y’all still with me this morning? You say, “Why aren’t you going up and down the stairs?” Well, I mentioned earlier why I’m not going down the stairs, but I’m good. I’m good. I took some ibuprofen a little bit early. I’m doing good right now, folks. Amen.
But look at that verse number 24. Proverbs 21:24: “Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who…” What’s the next word? Who dealeth. Dealeth. In proud wrath. That dealeth is just kind of, it’s an ongoing thing. And proud wrath. He’s got a major wound. By the way, typically it’s not their fault they got a major wound, but they just continually deal in proud wrath.
Here’s the thing: How not to be a scorner, number one: Deal with the root issue. If you are wronged—I think a lady, that it’s a very sad story, but a quote-unquote preacher, I use that term very lightly, but a quote-unquote preacher had touched her very inappropriately when she was young, very wicked. And she was literally crying, and I remember one time she said that, she said, “I hate preachers.” And praise the Lord, we realized, “Hey, there’s a root issue here.” And when she dealt with that root issue, she began to overcome maybe some of the scorning in her life. And in front—if you’ve been hurt, don’t spend the rest of your life critiquing everybody in the world. Deal with it. Don’t live in denial. Don’t blame everybody else in the world. Say that right there was wrong. That was sinful. That was wicked. They should never have done that. Even if it’s your parents. I’ve already talked about parents a little bit. I’m not saying spend the rest of your life critiquing your parents, but if your parents did you wrong, admit it, face it, deal with it, and forgive them and move on. But deal with it. Don’t spend the rest of your life just kind of living in denial and being having wrath inside you, mad at everybody. Hey, go ahead and deal with that issue. Don’t live in denial for the right. Don’t say, “Well, I’m all right.” You’re mad at the world; you’re not all right. And deal with that situation. Face what happened to you. And go ahead and yes, declare that was wicked, sinful, wrong. “I don’t want to stay here for the rest of my life and suffer from it. I don’t want to be a victim for the rest of my life. I don’t want that. I want to deal with the issue so I can move beyond it properly and have a healthy life the rest of my life.” Deal with it, but they’re dealing in proud wrath. They camp out there for the rest of their life. You don’t want to do that. You want to deal with the situation the best you can.
By the way, interesting, what do you say over there? We already quoted it: Probably Ephesians 4:26, “Be angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” Deal with it. Face the issue. Romans 12:19, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves; but rather give place unto wrath.” You say, “Where’s that place?” At the foot of the cross. Take it to the foot of the cross. By the way, it might not be a one-time deal. I understand that. And it might be an ongoing thing. I understand that. But do your best to deal with that root issue. And don’t deal in proud wrath for the rest of your life.
Number two, how not to be a scorner. Number one, do your best to deal with the root issue causing the wrath in your life. Number two, number two, it’s there in that verse. You’re there in Proverbs 21:24. Look back at it again, please. We’re going to move on here. “Proud. Proud. Proud. Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.” Proud. It’s not the only word mentioned twice; it’s proud wrath. Remember the verse we just read? “Surely he scorneth the scorners, but he giveth grace unto the lowly.”
Have you got a major wound? Maybe your mom or dad did you really, really wrong. Don’t deal with it and proud. Don’t get proud about it. You need grace. Grace is God giving you blessings and riches you don’t deserve. And if you’ve been through major trials, you don’t need God scorning you; you need Him giving you grace. Point number two is just simply this: Humble yourself. Let me say, and it’s not easy to do when you’ve been majorly wronged, and I’m not trying to act like it is, but can I just say this? Let’s just take deal with the facts. We’ll take emotion out of there for a minute or two. The honest truth is, if I got what I deserve, I will be burning in hell right now. I’m a sinner; you’re a sinner. Honest truth. If God dealt with us with justice, we would be burning and screaming and weeping and gnashing of teeth forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever. And that was horrible what happened, and I hate it. It’s temporary. We’re going to go to heaven one day, if you’re a born-again Christian. Praise the Lord, I’m going to heaven. I want to see the big picture. I want to respond in humility. God has been gracious to me.
Do your best to humble. Face this saying in humility. I always think about only my pride comes with contention, but what the well-advised is wisdom. The well-advised is I’ve lived long enough to realize I’ve got problems too. I’ve hurt some other people too. See? And respond in humility. Oh, I want to humble myself. Lord, man, this is a tough thing to overcome. I need Your grace. And God gives grace to the humble. Don’t deal in proud wrath. Don’t do that. Proud wrath, it equals this scorner. And God says, “I scorn the scorners.” We don’t need that with Him. So what I want to do the best I can by the grace of God to deal with the root issue. Sometimes you can’t get past it until you go through it. And I want to deal with it. And then number two, I want to humble myself. I want to face this thing in humility because it needs God’s grace.
And then can I just say this? We’re just going to say it. We’re going to be done. Look past. Number three, how not to be a scorner. How not to be—number three. Look past the hurts of a sin-cursed world. This is a messed-up world. And see God. See His perfection. See His love. See His mercy. Satan would love for that thing to be a cloud over your life where you cannot see God, you cannot see His mercy, you cannot see His love, and you spend your life just with wrath inside of you. And that’s what Satan wants. But by grace, that God said, “Lord, I like to look past mankind and I like to look up and see You.” And if you get a good look of God—well, can you get that out right, man? Say that ten times in a row. Blah, blah, blah, blah. That’s all that, folks, you know. If you can get past the clouds and get a good look at God, He’s perfect.
Last study, Justin, right is He? He loves you. He gave His only begotten Son for you. I can think—I don’t know what I would do, I’ve never faced it before, but I think I can lay my life down for some people I love. I don’t know, never been there. But to give my only son for someone else? Wow. Every once in a while, when my son lived here and went to church here, he’s grown and old and stole our grandkids, lives in Oregon. What about that, man, you know? But I mentioned something like that, and John said, “Dad, I don’t even like you talking about that.” I get it. I can’t imagine giving my son for someone else. And that’s how much God loves you. God loves you so much. And 1 John says, “Hey, He’s proven His love for you in that He’s given His Son.” His Son died for you on the cross.
If you hear all the problems of this world, you ever question, “Is God really lovely?” Well, just think about it: He let His Son go to a cruel cross, and He let a crown of thorns be on His head, and let Him be whipped by kind of nine tails. And it just kind of flayed Him and His bones—or you could stare at the proverb there’s Psalm 22 says His bones you can see them—and often when they’re just flayed with this kind of nine tails, it’s a whip with glass and sharp rocks woven into it, and they just whip them and then just pull it would just kind of just shred them, and often their inner organs will be hanging out.
And a God that loves you so much to let His Son go through that, why in the world, if a sinful mankind did something wrong to me, why would I question His love? Sometimes you’ve got to see the big picture: God loves me, He loves me, He cares for me. Yes, He’s allowed it. I don’t know why. I don’t understand it, but I’m going to trust Him even during this time. He’s proven His love for me, and I want to see past sinful, messed-up mankind, and I want to see a perfect, righteous God. He said, “I didn’t come down.” Jesus said, “I didn’t send my Son over there.” In John 3:17, He said, “I sent not my Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” And you’re not here to condemn you, critique you. He’s given His Son to show you He loves you, except His Son is your Savior. You say, “Well, I’ll have a Dad up in heaven that loves me.”
So number one: How I don’t want to be a scorner. Do my best to face the root issue. I believe it really goes back to this right here, and I don’t want that to mess up the rest of my life. Maybe you’ve already dealt with it. Maybe it’s time to move on. I don’t know. You seek the Lord, but I want you to deal with it properly. Get a wise word. Don’t spend the rest of your life critiquing and criticizing. Go to somebody wise: “I need help with this thing right here.”
Then number two, face it in humility. Don’t get proud about it all. Humble. God gives grace to the humble. You resist it to proud.
Then number three, do your best to look past the hurts of a sin-cursed world. You’ll see a just God.
There’s a painter years and years ago, James Thornhill. He painted St. Paul’s Cathedral. It’s in London, England. For years and years, it’s the tallest structure in London, England. The outside of it is 366 feet tall. That is equivalent—I looked it up, I wasn’t sure—that is equivalent to a building 34 floors high. I mean, I don’t know if there’s a building around here at 34. Of course, in Nashville, the back—build or whatever, you know. But Smyrna and Murfreesboro, I don’t think there’s a building that tall. And so this huge building, and inside of it he painted, like the dome of it, he painted that. And he’s known for that. And they say when he was painting that, they had made some scaffolding for him to get way up there, you know, of course he had to fall, man. He’s not going to get a little back injury; he’s going to be dead, you know. Hopefully, he’s saved, amen.
And they say he was up there, he was painting. And one of his friends had made his way up to the edge of whatever they was talking to be. He’s out on the scaffolding. And he was looking up and he wanted to see, kind of get a better view of what he’d been painting. So he’s backing up. He’s talking to his friend. And he kept backing up, backing up to kind of see this thing, you know, what he’d been painting. And he said, “One more step,” he’d have stepped off the scaffolding. His friend was standing there, and he was trying to say, “Hey, hey, hey,” you know, and he just wasn’t listening. But he knew, he knew that painter was so much into his painting. And so he just, just instinctively, he had a paintbrush. He said he just said, “Foom!” like that. And the guy, of course, and he stepped forward. And he said, “Hey, James,” he said, “I hate to do that, but if I didn’t, you would have stepped off.” And they say he turned to look, and he said, “You saved my life.”
And sometimes God has to allow some brushes across our life that hurt, instead of falling off backwards, just trusting—trust Him. Look past the messed-up, sin-cursed world. See a God that loves you. Hell, He loves you. You need to focus on—if you’ve got major wounds, you need to focus a lot on the love of God.
One more story. We’re done. I’m not lying. I’m not preaching now; I’m telling the truth as I was trying to say. Amen. Try to get it right. I got medicine. I mean, I can blame everything on medicine today, you know?
But they say there was a guy that took this man through a little stream, and in the stream, leeches were in there. And he came up the other side of the stream. They had leeches all over them, you know. And of course, the guy, he didn’t do anything. But the other man, he just instinctively wanted to get, you know, the leeches off. But they grabbed a hold, and he started trying to rip them off. And the guy said, “No, don’t do that.” And he said, “If you just rip those leeches off you, they’re going to leave parasites in you.” He said, “Don’t do that.” And he went down the trail a little bit, and there was a little pond. And you had just the right temperature. He said, “I want you coming here, and I want you to get in this pond.” And he said, “It’s got just the right temperature and right chemicals in there, whatnot.” And he said, “Soak in there for a little bit.” And as I soaked in there, the leeches just released.
And friend, if you’ve got a major wound in your life, you need to bathe daily in the love of God. Amen. Just soak that. Just soak in there. How much God loves you. He cares about you. He’s got a plan. He can bring good out of this thing. And you soak in that. That wrath, a whole lot easier to get off of you then.
Would you bow your heads and close your eyes? Heads bowed, eyes closed. Heads bowed, eyes closed. You say, “Preacher, you know, I can see this is going to be humbling. It will be humbling, but it’s a good thing. But preacher, I can see some scorning in my life. I don’t want that. I don’t want that. By God’s grace, I want to see it. I want to avoid it. I don’t want to go down that road. God spoke to my heart about that. I don’t want to be down that road of the scorning. I can see it a little bit. I want to just—I want to turn away. I want to get away from that.” It’s a little humbling, but I can see some scorning in my life. Preacher, God spoke to my heart about that this morning. That’s you this morning? You lift your head: “Preacher, that’s me. That’s me.” Me too, Fred. Me too. Oh, oh, let’s try to deal with the root. Let’s respond humbly. Let’s bathe in the love of God daily. Would you do that?
Maybe here this morning you say, “Preacher, there is a root issue, and I just kind of live in denial. I haven’t dealt with it. I just need to kind of face it. I need to face this root issue of my life.” And God’s been speaking to me about it. “I need to deal with the thing in my life.” Without you this morning, you live in a preacher, “That’s me.” Deal with it. God bless you. God bless you. That’s a lot of wisdom there. God bless you. Take it to the foot of the cross, give place to wrath. That’s Jesus’ feet. Amen. God bless you in the battle. Oh, I pray God will take you on a journey of healing when you just face it with the Lord.
Two more questions I’m done. You say, “Preacher, I need to see past the hurts and the pains of this whole world, and I want to get a better glimpse of God. I’m going to seek God. I’m going to seek His face like never before. Lord, I need You. I need to see Your love and Your justice and see Your power and Your foreknowledge. Lord, help me by Your grace to get a better glimpse. I’m going to be diligently seeking You.” And preacher, that’s me. God spoke to my heart. “I need to see past the hurt and see the Lord.” I need to see my heart about that. That’s you this morning. You slip past the end: “Preacher, I need that. I need by the grace of God, look past the hurt and see the Lord.” God bless you. God bless you. He’s a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him, the Bible says. He wants to be found. Would you seek Him? He’ll be found. Seek Him through the blood of Jesus, through the cross.
Maybe here this morning you say, “Preacher, I’ve never been saved. I’m not a born-again Christian. I’m not a child of God.” I didn’t preach about that, but you say, “Preacher, I need to settle that. God loves you so much. Jesus shed His blood for you. God gave His Son for you, and He’d love to wash away your sins. Jesus made the payment for your sin. Would you go to Jesus this morning?” You said, “Preacher, I’m not sure if I were to step out in eternity today, I don’t know if I’d be in heaven or hell tomorrow. I need to get saved. I need to get to Jesus. I need to get to the cross and get forgiveness for my sin.” Preacher, “I need to get saved.” If that’s you this morning, I’m not going to call your name embarrassing. Preacher, “I need to get saved.” If that’s you, would you slip your hand up? Anybody? If you’re going to get saved, if that’s you, would you slip your hand up? Anybody like that? He loves you. He loves to save you. You can be sure you’re going to heaven. If you’re not sure you’re going to be in heaven, would you please stand? Would you please stand? Would you have a word of prayer? Would you spend some time with the Lord this morning? Would you draw an eye to Him? “Lord, I want to see You. I’ve got some hurts and pains. I want to look past that. I want to see You.” Would you let Him know that?
Let’s pray. Father, thank You for Your goodness. Thank You for the wisdom of Your word. Lord, I pray that You would speak to every one of us. Lord, help us to draw nigh. Lord, help us to look past all the hurts and the pains and the problems of this world. Help us to see You, Your perfection, Your love. Bless our people, Lord, please, in a special way in the few minutes. Lord, give boldness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Lord, I need to see You. I need to see You. I want to look past hurts and pains and want to see Your perfection and Your wisdom and Your love. Help me to respond humbly, Lord. Have me to do that, Lord. I’m going to deal with the root issue. Have me to face it. Have me not live in denial. I don’t want to be here for the rest of my life. I want to deal with what I need to deal with so I can move on and be healthy and whole. He wants to be found. He’s a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. “What you’re called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek My face.” Lord, I need to see Your face. I need to see Your face. Sometimes He’s the only one that can make sense in a messed-up world, just a messed-up world. But you see Him, He’s a master at bringing good out of tragedy.
Some of being dealt with, pray for those, if you would, please. And I don’t want to leave this fault in your mind. You say, “Well, I’ve got a major wound.” Some of those folks that deal with it through the grace of God and in humility, by the love of God, are the sweetest people in all the world. You get to know them, you’d say, “I never dreamed you went through that.” God’s grace can do that. You don’t have to be a scorner, but a scorner is one that deals with them proud wrath. But…
Oh, God’s a master at those that got strokes across their life, if you will, and making something beautiful out of it and helping someone else. He’s a master at it. You just get to Jesus. He’s a master at it. So glad you’re here on a Sunday morning. Appreciate you being in faith in the House of the Lord. Make sure you’re back tonight. Looking forward to that. And just the coming days are exciting days. Next Sunday night, be here for sure. And then October 22nd being Sunday school. Glad you’re here this morning. Good to have the McCoy’s back in town, been out of town a bit. Good to have them back. Brother Chip, would you dismiss with a word of prayer, please, brother.
Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar - The Scorner - Sunday AM 09242023